Bridging expansible filler form



R; w. SEXTON BRIDGING EXPANSIBLE FILLER FORM Original Filed Oct. 28, 1916 Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

UNITED STES ROY W. SEX'ION, OF W YTI-IEVILLE, VIRGINIA. v

BRIDGING EXPANSIBLE FILLER IiOIlEtlVlI.

Application filed October 28, 1916, Serial No. 128,305. Renewed March 26, 1921. Serial No. 455,981.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROY W. SExToN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wytheville, county of Wythe, and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridging Expansible Filler Forms, set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to washable expansib-le filler forms for hand-embroidery, such as serve both as a pattern for the embroidery work and as a filler to raise the embroidery threads from the general level of the textile fabric embroidered.

Expansible filler forms of this character have been made from felted cotton and woolen fiber compressed and held under compression by an incorporated water soluble binding agent so that the form would be sufiiciently stiff and shape-retaining to serve as a satisfactory pattern form to guide the application of embroidery threads. It has been found, however, that only the skilled embroidery expert is capable of applying embroidery threads over any kind of embroidery filler so that each thread will have the same tension as that of its neighbor. It has also been found that when a piece of embroidered fabric, with an expansible filler form. incorporated under the embroidery threads, is laundered or otherwise treated to remove the water soluble binder and permit the expansion of the filler form, the consequent expansion of the filler form expands the overlying embroidery threads to relatively unequal amounts in a degree inversely proportional to the tension in the different embroidery threads. This results in an irregular, inartistic appearance of the finished embroidery.

Filler forms for embroidery are intended for use by amateurs and novices in the art of embroidery as well as experts. It is therefore of decided advantage to insure as even an appearance to finished embroidery as can be accomplished. lVhen a non-expansible embroidery form. is employed the inequalities in the tension of the embroidery threads have little effect upon the appearance of the finished embroidery within reasonable limits, but an expansible embroidery form has the advantage over the non-expansible form of imparting to the finished embroidery a desirable rounded appearance from the central portion of an embroidered part down to the edges of said embroidered part.

An object of the present invention is to make possible the employment of the rounded effect imparted by an expansible embroidery filler form and to eliminate the disadvantage of inequalities in the finished embroidery due to unequal thread tension. i

broidery, will be clear from the following detailed specification and are pointed out in the following claims which may be understood by reference to the illustrative embodiments described in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which like characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a' perspective view illustrating the manner in which the expansible filler forms are employed; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section drawn to an enlarged scale through line III-II of Fig. 1, illustrating an expansible filler form immediately after the embroidery has been applied; Fig. 3 is a view of the same structure drawn to the same scale as that shown in Fig. 2, after the binder in the'filler form has been removed and the filler form has been permitted to expand; Fig. 4t isav fragmentary sectional view taken along lineIV IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view'similar to Fig. 4 but taken along line V-V of Fig. 8; Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentarysection of a filler form embodying my invention; Fig. 7 is a. fragmentary section taken in the lo cality of the line II-II of Fig. 1 through a piece of embroidery work embodying a filler form of my invention and after the removable binder has been removed to permit the expansion of the filler form; and Fig. 8 is a section through line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7. i

In practicing my invention I prefer to employ felt of the desired thickness made up of a mixture of about cotton fiber and about 20% animal fiber such as wool, although I may employ cotton-felt or woolfelt, or combined cotton and woolfelt, in other proportions than 20% to 80%. This felt fabric is first saturated and completely impregnated throughout all its fibers in a suitable manner as by immersion or by passage between saturating rollers with a water solution of a suitable stiffening agent. I have. found that a light-colored, starchy paste of the type commercially on the market for the purpose of applying labels is satisfactory. I have also found that a solution of ordinary starch, preferably heat treated in the usual manner is satisfactory. I have also found that flour paste and albumen and sizing and even a saponaceous solution give satisfactory results. After the fabric sheet is thoroughly impregnated, it is dried and compressed so that its thickness after complete treatment is less than ordinarily in the unimpregnated felt. The drying and pressing may be simultaneous, as between combined drying and pressing rollers. I have constructed embroidery forms from the stock which has merely been pressed and dried after saturation with a removable binder as above, which held together in a relatively thin sheet by thebinder which has been dried or hardened throughout the fibers of the stock. Such a filler form is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, a and} 5. Figs. 1, 2 and 1 illustrate such a form made of felt, pressed and filled with abinder removable by laundering, but before the laundering, of the entire embroidered article A comprising the textile fabric 1, the filler form 2 and the embroidery threads 3. I have found that the average embroidere-r does not give equal tension to the individual threads 3, so that after the piece of embroidery has been laundered, the filler form. 2 expands, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, but it does not expand the same amount under all the embroidery threads. For example, of the threads 3 eertai n threads a have a greater tension than certain other threads 5. The threads a, which have the most tension, locally prevent the complete expansion of the filler form 2, while the threads 7) permit the filler form to push up to form ridges or inequalities. The illustration of Fig. 3 is, of course, slightly exaggerated for the careful embroidery, but some examples are actually as bad as the illustration. Fig. 5 shows particularly well how the thread 5 is pushed up farther than the thread 61, although the contour of the thread 5 is well rounded in the cross-section of Fig. 5, as well as the contour of the thread a. I have found that, if I form a bridge a on, in and, to a slight extent, below the thread engaging surface 5 of the stock 6 which has previously been impregnated and compressed as I have described above, so that it contains throughout its section a binder removable by laun dering, the inequalities in the finished embroidery are completely eliminated and yet the desirable expansibility is maintained. This bridge I may form by applying a light impregnating surface filling of a wa ter insoluble binder such, for example, as acetyl-cellulose dissolved in chloroform or ni-tro-benzole, or a water and heat resisting gelatine formed by treating gelatine with formaldehyde as described in United States Letters Patent to I'Iauser, 572,295, granted Dec. 1, 1896, or I may employ with a high degree of satisfaction a surface impregnation 4 of a mixture of bees-wax and powdered talc or powdered soapstone, or of bees-wax alone. This surface impregnation may be applied by means of a heated roller carrying a surface film of the beeswax mixture. The pulverulent material added to the bees-wax is not absolutely necessary but tends to make the bees-wax coating permanent and to build and smooth over any inequalities in the thread engagin surface 5 of the filler form. I have found that such a bees-wax surface impregnation is substantially irremovable by laundering and that it forms a satisfactory bridge from thread to thread of the overlying embroidery threads so that, when the piece of embroidery B has been laundered as shown in Fig. 7, the embroidery threads 3 are all pushed out to a substantially uniform extent, and if certain of the threads are not as tight as others, the bridge 4, by bridging across from one tight thread to another tight thread, satisfactorily holds down the body 6 of the embroidery form so that the surface of the embroidery has a uniform appearance. The cross-sectional View shown in Fig. 8 shows how none of the threads 3 project out from the fabric 1 farther than another, while a satisfactory rounded appearance to the finished embroidery is im parted. The bridge 1 thus constitutes a layer of tough, tenacious, substantially inextensible material fixed to the body of felted fibers beneath it and serving to prevent bunching and distortion of said body. The term non-removable as used in the claims with respect to a binding agent or binder means a binder or agent that is not removable by washing or laundering in water, or in solutions of water and soap, or similar cleansing agents, such as commonly used in laundering fabrics. The term removable as used in the claims with respect to a binder means the converse of nonremovable. The term soluble as employed in the claims with respect to a binding agent or a stiffening agent, means one that is soluble in water, or in solutions of water and soap, or similar cleansing agents, such as commonly used in launderinrr embroidered fabrics.

Vhat I claim and what I desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A filler form for embroider consisting of an expansible fabric and an incorporated removable binding agent by which the fabric is stiffened and held under compression, and a substantially non-removable binder incorporated on and to a limited depth below its embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

2. A filler form for embroidery, consisting of an expansible fabric and an incorporated removable binding agent by which the fabric is stiffened and held under compres sion, and a substantially non-removable bridge incorporated across the embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

3. A filler form for embroidery, consisting of an expansible, fibrous material and an incorporated starch binder by which the fibrous material is held under transverse compression, and a substantially non-rem0vable binder incorporated on and to a limited depth below its embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

4:. A filler form for embroidery, consisting of an expansible fibrous material and an incorporated soluble binding agent by which the fibrous material is held under transverse compression, and a substantially non-removable binder incorporated on and to a limited depth below its embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

5. A filler form for embroidery, consisting of an inherently expansible and elastic fibrous material with the fibres matted to gether and an incorporated soluble binding agent by which the material is stiffened and held under transverse compression, said binding agent being removable by washing to permit the form to expand, and a substantially non-removable binder incorporated on and to a, limited depth below its embroidery thread engagin surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

6. A filler form for embroidery, having a thread-engaging surface and comprising a body of normally flexible expansible fabric compressed beyond its normal density and saturated by a water soluble stiffening agent maintaining it in compressed condition, said fabric being capable of expansion to its normal dimensions and resuming its normal flexibility and fullness when said stiffening agent is washed out, and a substantially non-removable binder incorporated in and to a limited depth below its embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

7. A filler form for embroidery, having a thread-engaging surface and comp-rising a body of felt compressed beyond its normal density and saturated by a Water soluble stiffening agent maintaining it in compressed condition, whereby said body is adapted to expand to its normal dimensions when said stiffening agent is washed out, and a substantially non-removable binder incorporated in and to a limited depth below its embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the. embroidery.

8. A filler form embodying an embroidery design comprising a body of flexible expansible fabric compressed beyond the normal density and saturated by a water soluble stiffening agent maintaining it in compressed eondition, said fabric being capable of expansion to its normal dimensions and resuming its normal flexibility when said stiffening agent is washed out, and a substantially non-removable binder incorporated on and to a limited depth below its embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a filler form embodying an embroidery design comprising a body of compressed felt impregnated with a soluble stiffenin agent, and a substantially non-removable binder incorporated on and to a limited depth below its embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

10. A filler form embodying an embroidery design comprising a body of normally flexible expansible and compressible fabric compressed beyond its normal density, and stiffened by means of a stiffening agent, said fabric being held in compressed condition by said stiffening agent and being capable of expansion when brought into contact with a cleansing fluid and resuming its normal thickness and flexibility, and a substantially non-removable bignder inicbrp orated on and toa limited depth below its embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

11. A washable filler form embodying an embroidery design adapted to be completely covered by embroidery threads and COlIlPlllT- ing a flexible form body of unwoven fiber uniformly felted together, a removable toughening binder impregnating said form body and solidified through the fibers of the said form body from which it may be removed by Washing in Water, and a substantially non-removable binder incorporated on and to a limited depth below its embroidery thread engaging surface to form an expansion equalizing bridge from thread to thread of the embroidery.

12. A filler form for embroidery consisting of a body of fibrous material having the embroidery thread engaging surface thereof incorporated with a substantially non-removable binder.

13. A Washable filler form embodying an embroidery design adaptedto be completely covered by embroidery threads and comprising a flexible body of Water-absorbent felted fibers having a layer of tough, tenacious, substantially ineXtensible material fixed to said body and serving to prevent bunching and distortion of said body, said layer being formed by impregnating a part of said body of fibers at its thread engaging surface with a substantially non-removable binder.

In Witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification this day of October,

ROY W. SEXTON. 

